NHTSA Complaint #10196553 — 2001 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO

AFTER COMPLAINING FOR 5 YEARS TO A DEALER AND CAR MANUFACTURER ABOUT A CLANKING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THE CAR WAS DANGEROUS, AND THE MANUFACTURERS KNEW THERE WAS A STEERING COLUMN DEFECT IN A LOT OF THEIR CARS, SO THEY WERE QUIETLY FIXING THE PROBLEM, BUT ONLY WHEN CUSTOMERS COMPLAINED. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND BROUGHT THE CAR TO A DEALER AGAIN, AND THEY SAID THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO DEFECT. HOWEVER, WHEN I TOLD THEM WHAT MY MECHANIC SAID THEY AGREED THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND THE CAR WAS DANGEROUS, STEERING COULD FAIL AT ANY MOMENT. THEN, THEY AGREED TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT A LARGE COST TO MYSELF. ACCORDING TO MY PRIVATE MECHANIC AND VARIOUS ON-LINE RESOURCES THIS WAS A WIDE SCALE PROBLEM , AND THE MANUFACTURERS WERE TRYING TO AVOID NEGATIVE PUBLICITY. IN THE PROCESS, THEY WERE PUTTING THE PUBLIC AT RISK. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN THAT INFORMED THE MECHANICS HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I HAVE CHATTED WITH VARIOUS CAR OWNERS ONLINE, WHO HAD THIS FIX, AND THEY SAID THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. *AK.